


Rewriting

by Applesaday



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 07:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4512621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applesaday/pseuds/Applesaday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina has finally come to terms that she's in love with Emma, but she's with someone else. So Regina asks the Apprentice for a solution, and he gives her a pen. It allows her to rewrite the story so that she can have her happy ending with her family, and the woman she loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rewriting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Misslane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misslane/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Rewriting | Emma and Regina](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/134997) by Misslane. 



> Okay! So this is something new, it's a collab between Fyval, Miss Lane, and myself. Fyval wrote and sang an amazing and wonderfully beautiful song based on Swan Queen, and then Miss Lane created this gorgeously jaw-dropping video to go along with it that I'll link up on my profile.
> 
> And then I was asked to make the fic accompanying it and I've been in shock ever since. Although I've been constantly reassured that I am totally on par with the talent for the rest of the collaborators, I'm still super nervous and hoping against hope that this is up to everyone's expectations and is satisfactory!
> 
> Just as a bit of a background, this is gonna be a bit AU from the Season 4 ending; essentially Emma didn't become the Dark One. That thing just resolved itself somehow, and this probably would take place about a year after s4.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this! Italics show the story Regina's writing.

By: [Misslane](http://www.misslane.es/MyProjects/Rewriting/design/POSTER_Rewriting.png)

* * *

 

Regina was lost.

She supposed it would make more sense for her to say that she was angry, confused, sad, and downright dejected all at once. She felt like screaming to the heavens, demanding that  _someone_  answer her or so help her. Getting her happy ending should not be so complicated, right?

It was supposed to be straight-forward: meet someone, fall for them, be happy together. But no, she got shunned over and over again, and she was just so  _tired of it_. But what could she do?

Especially now, when she supposedly had found someone for her. But she was no longer satisfied with him. Robin had seemed like this unattainable goal last year, like something she should strive for, the perfect happy ending to make her redemption complete. But now, after dealing with the consequences from the fiasco that was Zelena's trickery and deception last year, she knew her relationship with Robin would never go anywhere. He had this idea of her that she just could not fulfill, and vice versa.

So she made up her mind, and decided that there was no use delaying the inevitable. After breakfast, she would head into the Merry Men's camp, and break up with Robin.

But first, she had to make breakfast for Henry and herself.

"Morning, mom," Henry greeted, sliding into his seat by the kitchen island, ready to dig in. She was glad that Henry had now managed to start waking up a bit more effectively. A few years ago she practically had to drag him out of bed, quite literally.

Regina smiled at him before handing Henry a plate with his toast and jam. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he nodded, before taking a large bite, and saying, "I'm just glad it's finally Friday,"

"Finish eating before you speak, Henry," she chastised him.

He frowned, but still followed her orders. Once he swallowed, he asked, "Anyway, what are we going to do this weekend? Are you and Robin going to-"

"No, actually," Regina interjected, busying herself with stirring her coffee as if it was something that required her entire attention, rather than something that she could do without even looking. "I'm breaking up with him."

When she did sneak a glance at him, his eyes were wide in surprise. "What, seriously? Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Regina kept her gaze on him as she said, "I've realized that he's not my happy ending. Robin needs someone for his two children, and that's not me. I suppose that I just fell in love with the idea of him; finding and falling for my supposed soulmate has always been something so enticing for me, but seeing him now, I don't think it'd work."

Henry nodded slowly, looking inquisitive.

Wanting to make sure he didn't think he was forbidden from visiting the Merry Men's camp, she was quick to add, "I'm sorry if it upsets you, I'm sure he won't object if you still want to hang out with him-"

"It's okay mom," Henry jumped in, a bright genuine smile on his face. "I don't mind."

"Really?" she asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't just saying it because he thought she'd want to hear it. "I thought you liked having him around."

He shrugged his shoulders, scrunching his nose in a way that was so like her, it was uncanny. "He's cool as a fairy tale character because he's 'Robin Hood!' you know? But you two were never really that compatible, he seems more like a crazy uncle than anything else."

Regina smiled and chuckled, "Well I suppose that, with how everything worked out, he is your uncle in a way."

Henry thought about it for a bit and then grinned as he understood. "He's the monkey's uncle."

"Henry!" she thundered, but he knew she was just joking. "Honestly, no matter who Zelena was in Oz, you can't call Rita a monkey."

Although Zelena was still incarcerated, she had been allowed to name the girl she had given birth to, and settled for Rita, though why she had no idea. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't been to see her sister in a long time, perhaps she should do that soon. But she was getting ahead of herself. First she had to go break up with Robin.

* * *

 

Regina walked by the boardwalk on the shore, needing to clear her head. Breaking up had gone over well, but now her mind was preoccupied with the future, and how freeing it felt to stop pretending.

"Hey Regina!" Tink waved her over to the bench she was sitting on. "Long time no see."

Smiling at her friend, she took the offered seat and said, "It really has been a while. Have you been busy since you got your wings back?"

Tink nodded energetically. "Definitely! Everyone's been super welcoming and just showing me the ropes, getting me back in the swing of things." Then it seemed she realized that Regina looked a bit glum, so she asked, "What's got you so down?"

Deciding that she could benefit from talking this over to Tink, Regina began, "Do you remember the pixie dust incident, all those years ago?"

She did remember, so she hummed in agreement.

"You said that it had never failed," Regina continued haltingly. "Is there any chance it might have failed that time?"

Tink thought about it for a moment. "Maybe. No magic is cut and dry, as I'm sure you can appreciate. Sometimes it works, but there might be a few times where it flopped. You think the dust was wrong?"

Regina nodded.

"Well, it might have been that, or maybe it's you, Regina," Tink explained slowly.

"I don't understand," Regina asked, befuddled as to what the fairy could be inferring.

Tink elaborated, "You're a different person. The you that I met all those years ago isn't who you are anymore. The you then would've been happy with what Robin Hood would've provided you with. But today, you have something different in mind, or maybe  _someone_."

Regina could see the logic in Tink's words. She did have someone in mind. "Perhaps you're right."

"If you want, I can help-" Tink began to offer.

"No no, it's fine; I think for now, I'll keep my romantic life in the back burner for now," Regina interjected with a smile.

* * *

 

"So, Storybrooke's grapevine has been all a-titter today," Emma began in lieu of greeting, entering Regina's office laden with their lunch orders.

"If by grapevine you mean Ruby, then it's quite rare to find a day when she isn't going crazy about some new gossip," Regina countered. "What has got her all excited this time?"

"Well," Emma started, choosing that it was better to deposit their lunch rather than outright responding Regina's query. "Word on the street is that you broke up with Robin."

"Ah." Apparently it hadn't been such a private conversation as she could've hoped. She knew Will Scarlet had been watching. Sneaky idiot.

Seeing that Regina wasn't going to say anything more, Emma prompted her, "And? Did you?"

"Yes," she succinctly responded.

"Oh!" Emma clearly hadn't been expecting for it to have actually been true. "What about your happy ending?"

"I've come to realize that Robin just wasn't it for me." That was only part of the reason. She had also stopped lying to herself and finally come to terms that the one person she wanted had actually been in front of her this whole time. The same woman that she at first wanted to get rid of, the woman she thought was her enemy, was actually the one who had gotten through her walls, and burrowed her way into her heart. Her happy ending with Emma Swan. Surely it was laughable. Emma was with the pirate, and as much as she wanted her, Regina wouldn't be so selfish as to destroy a relationship for her own benefit. Besides, if Emma had felt something for her, she would have said something, right?

"I do hope you're not upset," Regina continued, "especially after all the effort you went through to get Robin and I together…"

Emma waved it off with a scoff as she sat down on the visitor's chair. With a smirk she quipped, "Don't worry about it. If I'd had to fight a dragon for it, then yeah I'd have been upset, but come on, I only had to deal with your sister and one psychotic author, it was a piece of cake!"

Regina smiled at Emma's humour and easy demeanour. It wasn't hard to see why she had fallen for her. "In other words, just another regular day in Storybrooke, then?"

"Yep. So does that mean Operation Mongoose is back on?" Emma asked, tilting her head slightly.

With a sharp intake of breath, Regina shook her head. "Not right now. I think it's not wise for me to start chasing pipe-dreams quite yet once again."

With an understanding nod, Emma surmised, "So you have someone in mind then? You fell out of love with Hood and right into someone else?"

Regina bit her lower lip slightly. Sometimes Emma could be too perceptive about some things. If only she understood how much she meant to Regina, how much she wanted her. There were moments where Regina itched to bridge the gap between them and kiss the enticing lips in front of her. "You could say that. But I don't believe I should pursue it."

Thankfully Emma left it at that, but she could see the gears in her mind working overtime.

"Anyway, let's dig in," Regina added, in a much too-cheery voice. Emma agreed and instantly bit into her sandwich, telling her about her morning saving two cats.

Lunch ended up being quite conversational, the two women found plenty to talk about, whether it was Henry or some other mundane oddity happening in Storybrooke. They spoke of their next movie night, just the three of them, and settled on perhaps next Friday if Henry was also up for it.

After Emma left, Regina felt happy. Maybe being just Emma's friend would be enough. She could do this. This could work.

* * *

 

This wasn't going to work.

Perhaps this was her dreary Monday morning thoughts talking, but she was finding it impossible to keep this up. It was as if she was possessed by her impulses, trying to get her to give in and just kiss Emma. But she was trying, trying to find it in herself to be respectful to the couple, to understand that Emma was happy with Hook and that she had no business interfering or disrupting it.

But keeping it to herself wasn't going to do her any good. She'd go mad otherwise. No, she had to talk to the expert.

This was why Regina took a detour from her usual morning route to Town Hall, and instead went to the Apprentice's house. Once she arrived, she turned off the engine and sat in her car, pondering whether this was actually worthwhile. It took her a few moments to get enough courage to decide that this could be helpful, and since she was already here, she might as well try to talk to him and see what he said. She had apparently taken longer than she had thought, since by the time she had made her way up the short steps, the Apprentice had already opened the door, looking at her with furrowed brows. He was certainly dressed up, sporting a nice grey tweed suit.

"I was about to come out and ask if you wanted a cup of tea while you decided," he greeted, a ghost of a smile under the beard.

Regina's lips quivered with a miniature smile of her own as she wrung her hands in front of her nervously. "My apologies for the confusion. I was just wondering if I could speak to you for a bit?"

"Of course, of course," he answered, beckoning her in. "I was waiting for you to make your way here."

After she was inside, Regina turned to the Apprentice as she asked, "You knew I was coming?"

"I know many things, Madam Mayor, including the dilemma with your love life. Let's go to my office," he said, barely glancing at her as he walked past her and towards another room, leaving Regina to follow after him in confusion.

The room was sparse, and it way too big to be an office in her opinion, but she supposed that everyone had their preferences. There was a desk by the far corner, a wide, sturdy, and ancient looking structure that was probably chock-full of secret compartments and drawers. The desk top was mostly tidy, a few books scattered near the edges, and a green blotter near the middle which only held a day planner.

Sitting down behind the desk, he beckoned her to sit across from him. "Come, come, make yourself comfortable. I don't get many guests often."

She figured it was the case, going by his attire. But nonetheless, she graciously sat down on the proffered chair.

"Now," he said, clasping his hands together over the blotter, "What can I do for you?"

Regina raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You know what I'm here for, you said so yourself."

He conceded with a nod of his head. "Perhaps, but I still prefer to hear it from you. Besides, I know the vague details, as well as whispers around town," - Regina swore then and there that Will and Ruby would be hearing from her very soon - "but the finer details escape me."

So she told him about everything that had happened, of her searching for someone to have her happy ending with, finding Robin's tattoo and believing him to be her fated love, how she realized that he wasn't it for her. "I suppose I fell in love with the ideal that he represented. A happy ending garnered from fairy dust so many years ago. And now…now I want someone else. And like always, I choose someone impossible. I thought the balance had been righted. Villains could get their happy endings once and for all."

"Well, for starters, I think your first issue is the attitude with which you are confronting this new development." When he saw Regina purse her lips, he hastened to add, "I mean to say that I believe you're going about this the wrong way. If you go into a situation thinking, 'I'm going to fail, I'm going to fail,' chances are, you won't be too successful. Somewhat like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think of Emma as this unachievable goal, then lo and behold, you will think it is an far-fetched scenario."

Regina sighed. "But Emma is with the pirate and-" she tapered off as she frowned at the Apprentice. "I never told you it was Emma…"

The Apprentice grinned. "Perhaps not, but you did just confirm it. But let us not focus on that. The other thing I think you are doing incorrectly is your labelling. You still label yourself as a villain. Tell me something, why do you still call yourself a villain?"

Here Regina faltered. "Because…because I, well-"

"If I may be so bold," the Apprentice began, moving a bit forward in his seat, "I believe you find some comfort in the niche that the title of villain grants you. That isn't to say you still see yourself as a villain, but you might blame your bad luck - in the romance department for example - on your past. Like you think you deserve it. Perhaps, rather than playing with the cards you were dealt, you can shuffle the cards and deal again."

"You are speaking in riddles!" Regina growled, frown growing deeper. "I can't reshuffle any cards. The problem is simple, I like someone who is with someone else, and she is happy with him."

Leaning back on his chair, he looked at her with a calculating gaze. "Then if it's so simple, then why come to me? I may be many things, but relationship expert, I am not. Neither am I a miracle worker."

Regina grew tired of this, so she huffed and stood up, "This is pointless."

As she began to walk towards the door of the office, the Apprentice called out, "Madam Mayor?"

Regina stopped, closed her eyes, ground her teeth, took a calming breath, and finally turned back around, face impassive. "Yes?"

He said nothing at first, instead, he was busying himself with taking out and laying down five pens parallel to one another on top of the ink blotter. Regina kept staring at him, unsure why she had to be watching him organize his pens. When he finished, he made a flourishing gesture towards the pens as he looked up at her, settling back on his chair, clasping his hands together by the edge of the desk. "Choose one."

She didn't understand what was going on. But seeing that the Apprentice wasn't budging nor was he willing to explain, she walked back towards the desk and glanced at the five writing utensils. Some were more intricate, but a few looked like garden variety Bic pens. She chose one that resembled a quill pen. It felt light and study in her hand, and she glanced up at the Apprentice, wondering if now he would deign to explain.

He gave her a satisfied smile and said, "Perhaps, if the cards aren't working for you in any way, the solution is to change the game, rewrite the rules if you will."

Regina was still baffled as to what he was talking about. In fact, she was seriously considering having him branded as senile.

After a small chuckle, the Apprentice elaborated, "Since my allusions to card games seem to be going over your head, allow me to explain more succinctly. If the situation here is not allowing you to achieve the happy ending you believe you want, then perhaps, you can write it yourself."

Now Regina understood. But she was cautious as to what he was insinuating. "You're making me the Author? I thought Henry was the Author…"

The Apprentice nodded. "Indeed your young son is the Author of this world, and that is another matter entirely. But nothing prevents you from becoming an author of another story. As you might have surmised, there are plenty of books, and therefore, plenty of authors. So yes, you will become one of many."

Regina looked at the pen once more. She could write her own happy ending, one where Emma was with her. But…"This won't affect this timeline?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. Everything here will remain the same, and in another world, there will be a Regina Mills living the life you're craving."

"Thank you," she said, looking him in the eyes to show her gratitude.

The Apprentice smiled at her before standing up. "Come, let me show you out."

Once Regina had crossed the threshold, he said, "One piece of advice: be careful with how attached you become to this story you are about to write. It can be very easy to fall prey to a common syndrome in the book world."

Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Shifting his weight to his other foot, the Apprentice explained, "Sometimes, when authors find their regular lives to be unsatisfactory, they will often immerse themselves into the story they are writing. Readers also have fallen prey to it. You must be careful to remember living your life here."

Regina nodded, understanding. "Of course, thank you once again."

* * *

 

Regina worked until late that day, knowing that Henry was off staying over at a friend's while they worked on a project and therefore had no reason to hurry home. She felt that she should take advantage of it to have a lazy day with cooking, and instead would head to the diner for dinner. So she packed her stuff up - as well as the ink quill that she had certainly not spent most of the day looking at - and headed to Main Street, hoping to enjoy a quiet dinner.

And it had been quiet, up until the end. She was finishing her coffee when Emma came in. But she wasn't alone. Neither was she completely sober. Perhaps she was a bit more sober than Hook, now that she looked a bit closer, but still quite a bit inebriated. They went straight for the counter, stumbling a bit along the way. Regina, who was sitting by the booths, continued to watch discreetly, trying to seem disinterested.

"Here you go!" Ruby said, swinging by to return her card and give her the receipt, flashing a bright smile at her. "Thanks for coming and have a good night."

When she looked again, Hook had then decided to claim Emma's lips in a kiss, though Regina was somewhat happy to note that Emma didn't seem to reciprocate it all that much, and just looked at him with something akin to confusion when they parted.

But Regina was probably just imagining things. Emma was happy with Hook. What she was doing now was twisting things to try and create this scenario where Emma wasn't satisfied with Hook and would dump him, realizing Regina was it for her.

Shaking her head, she saw that Emma's glance was roaming closer to her, so she decided that this would be a perfect time to leave. Grabbing her coat, she slipped it on as she made her way out, determined to not turn around. Had she done so, she would've seen Emma's minuscule frown.

As it was, Regina went to sleep that night distressed. She had no one to talk to about this, no one to vent or to ask for advice. The only one who she had been able to talk to, had suggested for her to write. She wasn't a writer. And even if she was, where would she even start? How could she be so in control over a currently non-existent fictional world? Perhaps this would get easier.

* * *

 

After two days, Regina finally conceded that it wasn't going to get easier. Her heart still ached whenever Emma was nearby, blissfully unaware of Regina's inner turmoil. So she fished an empty storybook that she had kept from the time they had been searching for the Author, and went downstairs. This could work. Once she reached the landing, she passed by the mirror and stopped.

Looking back at her was a woman broken by love, but still desperate to have it reciprocated once again. She clutched a brown leather tome, and she took a deep breath; she was determined to have this work. Without further ado, she continued to her destination, the study. She sat down at the desk and fished for the quill that would make this all come true. But as the pen sat poised on top of the first sheet of paper, she faltered.

Where did she even begin? What would she change? She remembered last year when Emma and Regina had returned from their trip to New York with Lily, Robin, Roland, and Zelena in tow; how Emma had hugged Henry so tightly. With it came hundreds of other moments between Henry and Emma that Regina had witnessed. Some with her beside them, sometimes it was watching through the car window at a distance, while she had been branded an Evil Queen and had to watch her son seek comfort from someone else, back when she was jealous of Emma.

Sure she could create new memories, but she wanted all three of them to remain as she remembered, not take away a single aspect of their personality. Then again, this was all fictional, so why did it matter? She could write their personalities to remain exactly the same. But…where to begin?

She was interrupted from her musings as the phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she let out a terse breath as she saw that it was Mary Margaret calling. "Good morning dear," Regina greeted.

"Hey Regina, we were wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch today," Mary Margaret said, skipping the pleasantries.

Rather than accept right away, Regina was cautious. "Why? Is today's date anything special?"

"Not at all, I just decided to have a little get together!" Mary Margaret's voice seemed a little bit too cheery for Regina to believe her.

"I see. And the  _real_  reason for this get together?" Regina pressed, using her voice to let the other woman know that she was not up for any games.

Mary Margaret sighed, knowing she was caught. "Emma mentioned a few days ago that you seemed down, and yesterday you didn't even look at me when I called your name from across the street, so I figured that this must be the broken-hearted blues, and a little bit of friendly company was in order!"

Although no one would see it, Regina raised an eyebrow. Deciding to ignore the comment regarding Emma, she deadpanned, "And by friendly company, you mean that you want to keep an eye on me while I deal with this in order to make sure I won't be casting another curse?"

"No!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, so genuinely that Regina was taken back. "Regina, I don't see you like that now. No one does. We're just…worried about you."

Deciding that it would be rude to turn down the invitation, especially since it was being done for her benefit, Regina acquiesced to the lunch. Hanging up, she saw that she had to get to work. Writing would just have to wait. But maybe waiting wouldn't be too bad. This lunch would be good for her.

And it certainly would've been, if Hook hadn't been invited. When she entered the loft, she was greeted by Mary Margaret, who had little Neal in tow, growing steadily now he was two.

Then she saw Emma, which prompted Regina to give her a shy smile, one that was instantly reciprocated, though Emma's smile was much more radiant. She tore her eyes away to continue listening to Mary Margaret talk about her day so far, how she was thankful she had time to come here for lunch, because school was a mess and she needed a break.

"-With the end of the school year and everything, it's getting sort of crazy!" Mary Margaret ended her rant with a light laugh.

"I bet," Regina responded dismissively. She had just seen Hook appear, having apparently been conversing with David in the kitchen, since the latter had been delegated to preparing lunch. Hook came in and wrapped an arm around Emma, giving Regina a nod and a polite smile, saying nothing. Regina gave him a similar greeting, not exactly keen to having him around.

Unbeknownst to her, Mary Margaret was looking at her curiously, and when David announced that lunch was ready, she made eye contact with Emma, who merely shrugged, unsure herself at what could be eating Regina. The meal went by in peace, they spoke of meaningless topics that filled the time, giving them something to talk about without dealing with what they actually wanted to talk about: Regina's aloofness lately.

Soon enough, Mary Margaret had to excuse herself, needing to return to the school, leaving Regina alone with David, Emma, and Hook. They were sitting by the pseudo living room by the window, the couple sitting on the sofa, while David and Regina were sitting on armchairs.

"So Regina," Emma began, sounding extremely awkward at having to break the silence, "what's been on your mind? You've been a bit quiet lately."

Regina gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile, though with her luck, it probably came out as a grimace. "Sorry, I've been thinking."

"Must be thinking pretty hard," Hook quipped, with a smirk that Regina wanted nothing more than to make it disappear…preferably as painful as possible.

Thankfully, Emma elbowed him on the ribs for the comment, hard enough to get him to flinch. "Sorry," he amended, though he probably wasn't sorry at all.

"Ah… anything specific you were thinking about?" David asked, turning to her, hoping to dissuade the tension.

Regina bit her lip, and then decided she could use this to her advantage. "Actually, yes. I was just thinking on lost opportunities." Looking at each of the other three people in the room, she saw they were looking at her intently, even Hook. "Do you ever wonder…if you could change any one moment in your life, what would you change?"

This got everyone to think. Except for the damned pirate, who only held up his hook and twirled it a bit to emphasize his point. "Other than that, no regrets."

Well that was good, because she wasn't asking him anyway. She stopped herself from outright growling at the man for his intrusiveness, and instead looked to see if Emma would respond, but the woman was deep in thought. The one who responded next was David.

"Probably the whole fiasco with Lily. I'd probably have avoided letting our fears getting the best of us." He looked at Emma, who gave him a grateful smile. After much time, the healing process was going along nicely, and they were mostly forgiven, though there were some moments when Emma hesitated. She had confided to Regina one time a few months back, after some drinks together.

"Emma?" Regina prompted.

She didn't answer right away, instead looked down at her boots, hands clasped together over her lap. Regina wanted nothing more than to walk forward and raise her chin lightly to get her to look up. But that wasn't a viable option, especially with present company.

"I guess," she began, her voice catching a bit, "I guess I would avoid going to jail, it wasn't my finest moment."

Of course, that would be a perfect time to fix. She would avoid making Emma go through those eleven months alone, spending most of them pregnant. "Regina?"

She startled herself out of her thoughts and looked at Emma, who had been calling her. "Yes?"

"We were wondering what you'd change," David answered instead, now seeing what Mary Margaret had commented last night. Regina really was out of it. It was so uncharacteristic of her, hence why it was a bit worrying, and why Mary Margaret insisted on keeping close tabs on her.

"Oh. I suppose I don't really regret much in life, but perhaps I'd have avoided pursuing Robin so desperately," she responded, looking only at Emma, holding her gaze. "Maybe then, things would've been different."

They spent a few moments looking at one another, until Regina broke their stare by clearing her throat and saying, "Well, I must get going," as she stood up and walked to the door.

"Ah yes, Swan, are you still driving me to the docks?" Hook asked, glancing at Emma.

Regina reached the doorway, and turned back to see that Emma was still looking at her.

"Swan?" Hook asked again, finally getting her attention.

"Huh?" Emma asked, getting Regina to smirk a little bit. She would take the little victories as they came. The last thing she saw was Hook sighing as he repeated his question.

* * *

 

Regina wouldn't get a chance to do much with her newly acquired plan until late that night. Work had been particularly hectic, since everyone was taking the lull in calamities to submit paperwork for something or other, inundating her with forms.

Thankfully, Emma had taken Henry for the day, so she had been free to head to her crypt. Going down the steps, she hoped that she was doing the right thing. She supposed that it wasn't going to damage anyone or change anything here, so there was no real issue. Perusing through the shelves, she found what she was looking for. The old file she had Sidney acquire all those years ago was a bit dusty, but it would help her to pinpoint Emma's location all those years ago.

She flipped through the pages, finally finding the moment she was looking for. Emma Swan had applied for her driver's license at 18 in Boston just a little bit before she was sent to jail. Perfect.

Bringing the book and quill to her in a cloud of purple smoke, she settled on top of an old box luggage, flipping the book open to the first page and taking a deep breath. Was she really going to do this?

Twirling the pen in her hands, she made up her mind.

 _'Once upon a time…'_  she began to write, feeling more confident at seeing the words clearly on the page, releasing the breath she had been holding, she continued, _'when Emma was 18 years old, Regina Mills, who remembered everything from the other reality, left the town and drove to Boston to meet Emma and give her the life Emma deserved.'_

The words felt right for her, and it prompted her to keep writing,  _'She will never be in jail. She will never feel alone.'_

* * *

 

_Regina drove through the dark highway, determined in her destination. She was going to make this right. She would find the young woman, and help her. They could make a life together in Boston, away from the chaos of the town, and the curse. Without anyone to bungle it up and take it away from her._

_She finally reached Boston at about 3am, and quickly glanced at the directions she had printed for the apartment. It served her well to be prepared before setting out for this journey, and getting the apartment was one such provision she had taken. The only thing she was wishing for were the technological advances, but those would come back eventually, and this was worth it for her. Eventually she found the place, it was a nice building near the heart of Boston, and she was sure it'd make a wonderful home eventually._

_The landlord had told her she could swing by any time to pick up her keys. She wasn't sure if he was being literal, since the middle of the night was somewhat of a stretch, but she still knocked._

_"Whaddaya want?" he gruffly greeted, bleary eyes scanning her._

_"Hi," she said, flashing a polite smile. "New tenant for apartment 406?"_

_He said nothing, only gave a bleak nod and a huff, going to fetch something. A few minutes later he returned, thrusting an envelope at her. "Keys are inside."_

_Then the door was shut and she was left reeling as she processed everything. Opening the flap, she turned the envelope upside down and the keys dropped on her palm. Making her way to the elevators, she went up to the fourth floor, finding her apartment easily. Once she was inside, she grinned. This was perfect._

* * *

 

_The next morning, she decided to take a walk through the park. Something told her Emma would be there. And indeed, leaning against an old oak tree, stood a young bespectacled Emma Swan, watching the people go by with an amused smile. Once she was done silently laughing at how adorable Emma looked, she got herself in position, discreetly holding her wallet precariously at the edge of her coat pocket. She began to walk, certain Emma was looking at her, and at the right moment, she dropped her wallet._

_It only took a few moments for…"Lady! Hey ma'am!"_

_Regina turned, hearing the familiar voice - albeit with a slightly higher pitch - and saw the blonde rushing to her. Braking just in time, Emma paused to catch her breath before she breathlessly explained, "You dropped your wallet."_

_"Oh! I must've been distracted, thank you very much for grabbing it, I can't imagine what would've happened if someone had stolen it," she said, smiling as she returned her property to its rightful pocket._

_"Not a problem," Emma grinned in response, waving it off easily. "I'm Emma by the way."_

_Holding her hand out, she responded, "Regina. Very nice to meet you."_

_Emma took the hand in her firm grip before shaking it a respectable amount. Then she let go and looked at Regina expectantly. "Are you enjoying the weather? It's been pretty nice, the snow has melted and it's finally sunny again."_

_Seeing Emma fumble so graciously made her chuckle a bit. "Indeed. I just moved here from Maine, so the sun is a nice change."_

_Nodding, Emma bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh definitely. Been there once, it wasn't fun. Plus I think our parks are much nicer than Maine's, at least the ones I remember."_

_"Oh yes. The park just called to me, and I can see why, it's absolutely breathtaking." It was a bit awkward to make conversation with this Emma, but she was slowly making progress._

_"It has its magic," Emma agreed. "I like to come here and people-watch, always leads to some pretty interesting scenarios."_

_"I have no doubt," Regina chuckled. Then she got an idea. "Would you like to walk with me for a bit?"_

_"Sure!" The walked in silence a distance, until they approached a bench, and decided to sit down. "How's Boston treating you so far?" Emma asked, hands on her knees._

_Regina smirked slightly as she said, "It's wonderful. The place seems vibrant, and the people even better." She even bumped shoulders with Emma, letting her know she was talking about her._

_Emma blushed slightly, looking at her hands, not saying a word._

_"Tell me a bit about yourself," Regina prompted. She hoped she wasn't being too intrusive, but Emma didn't take offense; she actually seemed glad for the subject change, until she realized who the subject was, and then seemed shy once again._

_"Not much to tell," she shrugged._

_"Oh come now, there's always something to tell," Regina reassured her. "How about I start?" At Emma's nod, Regina began, "Well as you know, I've recently moved here to Boston, hoping to pursue my dreams of happiness."_

_"More noise and pollution?" Emma quipped._

_Regina scrunched her nose at Emma. "Funny. I was hoping to find my home in the world. But enough about me. Your turn."_

_Emma looked around them for a bit, before starting, "I guess I'm trying to find my place in life too, but so far, no go."_

_"Whyever not?" Regina could guess the reason, but she still wanted to hear it from Emma herself._

_She shrugged, clearly not comfortable giving out those details quite yet. "I suppose I haven't been that lucky yet," she answered vaguely._

_Hoping she wasn't being too forward, she put a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder. "Perhaps your luck will change soon," Regina offered, allowing a soft smile to cross her features. "Did you have any plans in mind?"_

_"Well…first I was hoping to get a better job than just a cashier at the local supermarket," Emma started, "but I don't know how to go about it."_

_Regina thought for a moment. "What would be your ideal job, if you could have no restrictions?"_

_Emma didn't even have to think her response, "Social worker. The system's kind of terrible, and I was thinking of trying to do my part to fix it."_

_It was a noble endeavour, and Regina surmised that the original Emma had to throw that dream away once she got convicted. But for this Emma, she would help her realize her dream. Together, they began to craft a plan for Emma. After explaining that she hadn't completed her high school education, Regina instructed Emma on getting her GED, which would open opportunities for her to pursue post-secondary education._

* * *

 

Regina gasped as she put the pen down. She was completely baffled at how much she had written. It was as if someone had taken control of her and written things that she had very little idea about. Sure she knew some things about Emma, like the fact that she had gotten her GED because she had dropped out of school, and that she and Neal had gone to that park in Boston frequently, but she had no idea if Emma actually did want to become a social worker. Was she making it up completely, or were there strange forces at work?

Before she could think about what was going on, her eyes widened at what she was seeing. The page beside the one she was writing was changing. Where it had previously been an empty canvas, lines were slowly starting to appear, and colour began to splash onto the surface. Before long, she was staring at a rendering of the moment she had just written, of Emma and her in the park. Beginning to panic, she shut the cover of the book with a final thump. This was strange magic, and Regina had no interest in meddling with something like that, no matter how many times she was reassured that it was safe.

So she left it alone for a few days. She attempted to visit the Apprentice, but just her luck, he wasn't there at any moment. Afraid of writing more, she threw herself at her work, deciding that keeping busy would distract her. And it worked, until Emma came in for their regular lunches. Sometimes Regina would visit her at Emma's office, but today was Emma's turn.

"Okay, they didn't have any kale salad," Emma started, forgoing a greeting as per usual, "so I got you spinach. It's basically the same thing, right?"

It wasn't, but Regina wasn't about to turn down lunch with Emma. "It'll do. I'm not too preoccupied with what kind of greens it has." Regina was actually more preoccupied with Emma's expression, a pensive look that probably meant that she had something she wanted to say. But Regina wasn't going to press. If Emma wanted to say it, she would.

They had just finished their lunch, and since they had time, they settled on the settee when Emma decided to broach the subject. "Can I ask you something?"

"Apart from the question you just asked?" Regina responded with an amused grin, one that garnered her a playful glare from Emma. "Go ahead."

"Is everything okay? And don't give me the bullshit placating answer. I know you Regina, and you've been kinda strange lately. I don't know if it's the whole thing with Robin Hood, or what, but I'm not the only one who has noticed, and we're worried about you…"

"It's not a bullshit answer if it's the truth, Emma," Regina responded tersely. She did not want to discuss this at all.

But Emma wouldn't leave it be. "Regina, you don't have to hide your feelings away. You can trust me with whatever's bothering you. Maybe we can solve it together…"

"I'm not hiding, and perhaps, I don't want to speak about whatever is bothering me, since it is a private matter that I want to keep to myself, and others should do well to mind their own business," Regina responded, her answer coming out a bit more tersely than she imagined, but while Emma had attempted to take the diplomatic route - the key word here being: attempted - Mary Margaret had been non-stop in her endeavours to get Regina to open up, and it had been grating her nerves to be treated as a delicate flower.

Unfortunately, Regina had taken her anger out on the wrong person, because Emma grew serious and frowned, standing up. "Well I'm sorry for wanting to be your friend and try to help. If you're content sulking and pushing everyone away, then fine, Regina, I'll leave you alone."

Without further ado, she turned on her heel and stalked to the door.

"Wait, Emma-" Regina called out, standing up. Emma had paused, hand on the edge of the now open door, her back facing Regina. Her mind was pulling a blank as she scrambled to say something,  _anything_ , to get her to turn around and forgive her. But whatever Regina could have wanted to say was nulled when Hook barged in.

"About time, I- Swan?" he asked, frowning at seeing Emma there. He glanced from his girlfriend to Regina. "Is everything alright?"

Emma said nothing, only released a sigh of frustration before she continued her trajectory out of the office.

"Emma!" Regina called out, her feet wanting to move forward to run after the woman, though she felt frozen, whether because of fear or dejection, she didn't know. But she felt incapable of moving, and she decided against chasing her down, she would be too late to catch up to Emma. Just her luck, she pushed away one of the few people who made her feel good about herself, the other was of course, Henry.

"Dare I even ask what you've done this time?" Hook asked, clearly not budging.

"'This time'?" she repeated with disdain. Oh she was not going to deal with him right now. "Perhaps,  _pirate_ , you should learn to mind your own business. And what are you even doing here? As you must have realized by now, this isn't the harbour, and your girlfriend just left."

Hook gritted his teeth but held out some crumpled pieces of paper. "You turned down my paperwork for a docking permit with the Jolly Roger," he stated.

She remembered the paperwork very clearly, and why she didn't accept it. "Indeed I did. Did you come by just to let me know you've received it? Because I would've been just fine without the personal notification." She wasn't going to give him an inch. She knew what he was actually asking, but she was going to make it hard for him.

Eventually, he managed to get an answer from her, and was informed on what he had done wrong, much to Regina's amusement. Soon enough, he was leaving, but not before dropping a snide remark, "Perhaps next time, you could be a little bit more compassionate? She might want to be your friend, but everyone has their limits. You keep this up and no one will want to be around you, your Majesty."

Regina didn't even deign him with a response. Instead, the minute that he had left, she called it a day, picked Henry up, and holed up in her study, distracting herself with writing.

She wrote of a gathering a week later, at a coffee shop in downtown Boston.

* * *

 

_"Hey Regina!" Emma greeted, plopping down on one of the comfy armchairs the place had. "Guess what?"_

_Regina smiled at seeing the blonde appear, and her enthusiasm was infectious. "What?"_

_"I've got my test date for the GED! It's in a month and a half, so at least I've got plenty of time to study," Emma told her, positively beaming._

_"Congratulations!" Regina exclaimed, happy for the younger woman. "If you need my help to study, you need only ask."_

_Emma thought about it for a moment before accepting. "Alright, I'll probably take you up on that offer. What's new with you? Did you get the job you were looking for?"_

_Regina nodded. "Yes I did. I am now the newest librarian at the Boston Public Library in the Children's section," she explained with a hint of pride._

_"That's amazing!" Emma said, before vaulting out of her seat to give Regina a big hug. Regina was taken aback for a second, before reciprocating the gesture with a smile. This felt so right._

_Once they broke apart, Regina felt inspired to ask, "How about dinner? To celebrate both of our successes?"_

_"Sounds perfect," Emma grinned, accepting the offer._

* * *

 

_They had agreed to meet the next day at a French restaurant that Regina had read in a magazine showing the 'Best of Boston' cuisine. She had decided to curl her hair and don a nice patterned summer dress._

_"L'Espalier, fancy," a voice said behind her. She turned to find Emma, wearing in a black dress; she had forgone glasses, and was wearing her hair in a partial ponytail, making her look dazzling. It was certainly nothing she had seen her Emma wear, and she was surprised._

_"I thought we should do something special to celebrate," Regina said. "My treat."_

_Emma looked ready to protest, but Regina wasn't having it. "I insist, please?"_

_She acquiesced, and they entered the establishment together, talking about what food they were going to get. "I am so not eating any escargot," Emma clarified, shifting in her seat._

_Regina chuckled, "I don't think they serve it anyway, dear."_

_It turned out being an absolute feast, she could see why it had such high accolades._

_"So Regina," Emma began, sipping her water before continuing, "Why did you move away from Maine? Just the weather?"_

_She wasn't sure what prompted her to be so open with Emma, but soon enough, she found herself regaling an edited version of her life. "My life has been somewhat controlled ever since I can remember. Every single decision and every single person I had met had been at my mother's whim. Eventually I was freed, but I was still stuck in the same place. Once I realized that I could have more…find a way out, I took it. So I moved here, to Boston, and this is where I am now."_

_"Sounds like a pretty crummy life," Emma commented._

_Regina nodded a bit. "It wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, that's for sure. How about you? What made you decide for Boston?"_

_"The place seemed cool, and it was near my last foster home, so I didn't have to travel far." In the few times they had met, Emma had slowly opened up about her childhood as an orphan being shuffled around foster homes. "And when I broke up with my ex, I figured I should stay here, try to make a life in one place and having it stick, you know?"_

_She nodded, understanding. After having lived in four houses in her lifetimes - two of them veritable castles - and not feeling at home in any of them, she could understand trying to make something work._

_Eventually, they had wrapped things up, and Regina paid the bill. Time had passed by too quickly, and by the time Regina was parting ways with Emma, she was wishing they had had more time to talk. But it wouldn't be too long before they met again. Emma had asked Regina to come by her place to help her study a few days later._

_Once she had arrived at her supposed destination, she kept glancing from the sheet of paper with the address, and the building in front of her. Deciding to at least try and see if this is where Emma lived, she went inside, and climbed all the way to the eighth floor, noting that the elevator seemed out of commission, yellow tape blocking anyone from entering it, since the doors were wide open. If Regina had to be honest with herself, she wouldn't have entered it even if it had been functioning._

_Heading to #3, she knocked firmly. She wasn't sure whether she wanted Emma to be behind that door, or not. Once it opened, she saw Emma smiling from behind her ridiculously large glasses. She would have to ask her eventually about them, since the Emma she knew didn't wear them._

_"Hey! Come on in, sorry for the mess, I've been so busy studying I haven't had time to clean up," Emma blurted all out in one breath, clearly nervous at having Regina see what a dump she lived in._

_Regina instantly brought her hands to Emma's upper arms in a soothing gesture. "Don't apologize, Emma, it's your home, and you needn't have it impeccable just because I'm here."_

_Emma smiled brightly, and they settled on an old derelict couch, which was serving double duty as chair and table for Emma, since she didn't seem to have a table large enough to hold all her study materials. She shifted some papers around so Regina could sit, and they studied diligently for a few hours, Regina quizzing Emma, beaming every time she got an answer right._

_When Regina began to hear some loud bass thumping through the walls, she frowned. "Who has a party on a Wednesday?"_

_"Ha," Emma scoffed. "This is a daily occurrence."_

_Before long, the rhythmic sounds were grating at her nerves._

_"That's it," Regina growled, slamming the book shut with an air of finality. "I'm going to go over there and-"_

_"Don't," Emma said, reaching out to place her hand over Regina's wrist. "It's not worth it, they won't listen. Believe me, I've tried."_

_Regina seemed lost at what to do. "You can't tell me you're okay with them continuing to play their music like this?"_

_Emma merely shrugged. "Not really, but what can I do, right? It's not like I've got anywhere else to go."_

_"Perhaps…" Regina began, uncertain how well her idea would be received. "My apartment is quite large, and I do have a spare bedroom. If you wanted…"_

_At first, Emma didn't seem to quite understand what Regina was offering, but when she did realize, she was speechless, mouth opening and closing in surprise a few times. "I wouldn't be able to afford even half the rent," was what she finally blurted out._

_Regina hadn't actually accounted for money, but she just waved it off. "We can figure something out. I'm not too insistent on you paying the rent, but if you absolutely do insist, you can help pay for groceries or help me around the house, and we'll call it even. What do you say?"_

_Emma's response was to leap forward to tackle Regina in a hug, books and papers flying everywhere, exclaiming, "Thank you!"_

_By the end of the week, Emma had officially moved in. Since she didn't own much, and the little she owned was easily packaged, everything had fit into four boxes._

_"There, everything's unpacked," Emma said, collapsing onto the much nicer sofa in Regina's apartment. Beside her, Regina looked at her, amused._

_"You make it seem as though it was a lot of things to unpack."_

_Emma had turned, ready to wag her tongue at Regina, but she froze when she saw how close they actually were. Their shoulders were practically touching, and Regina's eyes were looking at her intently._

_"Emma?" she asked, seeing how the blonde was staring at her, mouth slightly agape._

_Then, the unexpected happened._

_Closing the gap between them, Emma placed a soft kiss on Regina's lips. It was sweet and tentative, and Regina smiled into it, before kissing her back. She hadn't thought that would be advancing so quickly, but she was pleasantly surprised._

_They giggled as they broke apart, as reluctant as Regina was at admitting that she would ever produce such a noise willingly. She gave Emma another peck on the lips, just to reassure her that this was all real, that she wasn't imagining things._

_"So, does this mean we're dating?" Regina asked, wanting to make sure._

_Donning a pensive look, Emma said, "I don't know, maybe I was just wanting to kiss you."_

" _Oh really?" Regina raised her eyebrows._

_Emma nodded. "Yep, ever since our dinner at that French place. But since you asked about dating, I guess it depends how good that first date goes…"_

_Regina scoffed playfully. "I'll have you know I am excellent at planning a first date."_

_Pretending she wasn't convinced, Emma shot back, "I don't know, sounds like a lot of talk right now. I'll wait until the date is over to see."_

_Chuckling, Regina bit her lip before saying, "Oh you have no idea what I'm capable of."_

* * *

 

Regina saw the images appear every time she paused, and she was baffled at how detailed the paintings appeared. It honestly looked like this was happening as she wrote, and some invisible being was drawing what they were seeing. She looked up and realized that it was nearly time for dinner, so she got up and started preparing, calling Henry down to help her.

"Are you and mom fighting?" Henry asked after a few minutes of silently working.

She knew it would be pointless to tone it down as anything less than a fight, so she nodded. "I suppose so, yes. I said some hurtful things to Emma."

Thinking about it a bit more, she asked, "How did you hear about this?"

"I asked mom if we were still going to watch a movie this weekend, and she texted me back that I should ask you, because she wasn't sure she'd be welcomed."

Internally, Regina cringed. She hated fighting with Emma, it was even worse when Henry was brought in to the middle. To Henry, she said, "I'll talk to her tomorrow, and hopefully she'll forgive me, okay?"

Henry seemed satisfied with the answer, and told her more about his day. He had also noticed that his mom seemed more distracted lately, ever since breaking up with Robin, and he was determined to find out what was making his usually very in-control mother behave so differently. Perhaps he would ask Emma to help him, give it a fancy operation name and everything.

* * *

 

The next day, as promised, Regina decided to go apologize. She sent a text to Emma, asking her where she was, and if they could talk.

The next five minutes without a response were pure agony for her. Her mind was coming up with all the worst possibilities, thinking that Emma perhaps was giving her the cold shoulder, or perhaps she was going to stay mad at Regina. She tried to think of all the innocuous possibilities to Emma's lack of response to counter it, such as her being busy, or chasing someone down. The latter was perhaps less plausible, seeing that it was still very early in the morning, even for Storybrooke standards of chaotic happenings.

She let out a sigh of relief when she got a response, a terse line about being in the loft and she could come by whenever before she left for work, and that the door was unlocked.

Not wasting another minute, she made her way straight to the Charmings', rehearsing her apology on the way. Much to her chagrin, when she entered, she saw Hook standing there as well.

Emma turned to face her when she heard the door open, and crossed her arms, looking at her expectantly, saying nothing. Regina quivered slightly under the intense gaze, and her eyes flickered to the third wheel there. "Can we talk privately?"

Fortunately, Emma seemed to understand, and she nodded, still not saying anything, and led them upstairs to Emma's room - and Henry's when he stayed over. Once they were there, the intense look returned, and Regina tried to gather her thoughts well enough to begin speaking.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you, and making it seem like I was pushing you away. That's the last thing I want to do. You're one of the few people I'm comfortable to be around with, and I don't want my…attitude" - that got Emma's lips quivering in a small smile - "to destroy all the progress we made."

Emma nodded slowly. "I get pushing people away by accident Regina, but the problem here is that you're not okay, something is  _clearly_  wrong. And even though you're wanting to pretend that everything is fine, you'll fly off the handle whenever someone tries to approach you about it. If you don't want to talk about it, fine, like you said: it's a private matter. But it's not so private when it's affecting your relationships with everyone. Hell, even Henry is noticing it, and what am I supposed to tell him?

"I can't see this continue and not say that I at least tried to help you, so please Regina, tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you with whatever is eating at you."

Regina opened and closed her mouth a few times, absolutely moved with Emma's words, but still she knew that she could not tell Emma that the problem was that she was pining for Emma herself. It would just complicate matters. "Thank you for the offer, but I just can't."

"Why not?" Emma demanded. "What could  _possibly_  be eating at you that's so terrible that you can't tell me what it is?"

"To explain, I'd have to tell you what was wrong, and believe me when I say that it would cause more problems than solve anything."

Emma pursed her lips and looked away, sighing softly. "Alright, then at least try to talk to someone; Archie, Ruby, that old guy with the pig farm, whoever you want. Just don't keep bottling this up, okay? I don't like seeing you all torn up like this."

Regina figured that it wouldn't be such a rare thing for them to hug - friends hugged all the time, right? - so she took a few steps forward and wrapped Emma in her embrace, clinging tightly. It was just what Regina needed. It was comfortable and safe, and it quelled the urge she had to just kiss Emma. She smiled when Emma's arms wrapped around her, returning the hug, and Regina realized that until then, they had never really hugged. Perhaps with Henry in the middle, sure, but never an actual hug with just the two of them.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling at how well they fit together. Perhaps she had a chance.

"It's what friends are for," Emma quietly responded, and Regina felt a pang in her stomach. She broke away as she stopped kidding herself. Emma's boyfriend was downstairs, and he wasn't going anywhere. What's worse, he probably got to comfort her all the time, without wondering how it would be seen if they were to hug.

When they went back to the living room, Hook was looking between them curiously, and Emma went to give him a kiss on the cheek while Regina moved to leave.

"Just remember I'm here for you, Regina," Emma said while Regina opened the door.

She merely looked at her, gave her a fond smile, and with a nod, she left.

* * *

 

Sitting in her office at Town Hall, Regina couldn't focus on work. She kept thinking about the hug, about not being able to offer Emma comfort. Suddenly, in her mind's eye, she was outside. It was dark and rainy, and she saw Emma crying on Hook's shoulder. He hugged her and she clung close to him, while Regina watched from afar, gripping her umbrella tightly. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she saw how she would always be perceived, watching from a distance, wishing it were her jacket that Emma gripped with such conviction.

Shaking her head, she brought herself back to the present. With a wave of her hand, she brought the book and quill to her. She opened the book and began to write.

_'One month after their first date, Emma confessed to Regina that she was pregnant, explaining how Neal had left when he found out.'_

She smiled as she added,  _'The baby will be a boy, and his name will be Henry.'_

* * *

 

_Emma sat in the bathroom floor, clutching the toilet bowl, heaving great gulps of air._

_"Emma? Is everything alright?" Regina's voice sounded from behind the closed door._

_"Just fine!" she called out, hoping she sounded convincing. Internally, she was panicking. She remembered another moment not too long ago, sitting in a bathroom as well, staring at a white stick that changed everything. Neal had left her when he found out she was pregnant, considering that having a child would be a burden._

_Surely Regina wouldn't leave her because she was pregnant, right? Regina loved kids, it was why she was working at the children's library. But what if she didn't? They had been barely dating for a month, and while Regina seemed wonderful, Emma had had too many experiences with having people leave her for the simplest things. It had shaped her to be careful of what she shared and to whom._

_But once she left the bathroom, she was faced with Regina looking at her, head slightly tilted. "What happened?"_

_Emma bit her lip and unconsciously went to wrap her arms around her still mostly flat belly protectively._

_"Hey," Regina said, taking Emma into her arms, kissing her forehead gently. "Don't be nervous, I'm here for you. If you want your space, I will give it to you, but just know you can trust me."_

_"I'm pregnant," Emma blurted, burying her head into Regina's shoulders, not wanting to leave the comfort. Much to her happiness, Regina merely tightened the hold. Once they broke apart, Regina was positively beaming. "You're not mad?"_

_Regina couldn't even find it in herself to tamper down her enthusiasm, but she shook her head. "Of course not! Why would I be mad?"_

_Emma gave a long shrug. "I don't know. Neal left when he found out…"_

_Waving it off, Regina scoffed. "He's an idiot. Have you done a check-up yet?"_

_When Emma answered no, they called to book an appointment. Luckily there was one in an hour, so they rushed to get there in time. The baby was healthy, and her symptoms were pretty light, she hadn't been vomiting before today, so the doctor cleared them to be just fine. She also gave them an appointment for another checkup and plenty of ultrasounds, at which point they would be able to find out the baby's gender._

_Regina already knew that it would be a baby boy, their little Henry, but she acted clueless for Emma's sake, though she did let slip that she had feeling it would be a boy._

_"Oh really?" Emma asked with an amused smirk. "Are you now an expert on babies?"_

_"Perhaps," Regina responded with a wink._

_By the time they got back home, Emma practically collapsed on the bed. When Regina went to check up on her, and ask her if she wanted lunch, she chuckled silently at how adorable her girlfriend looked. Girlfriend. The title still gave her shivers. She was dating Emma Swan, as unbelievable as it all sounded._

* * *

 

Regina had dropped off Henry with the Charmings for the night, and decided that she would take advantage of the fact that she was nearby to head to the diner and grab a quick bite to eat. However, her timing could've been better, as she saw when she entered that Emma was with Hook sitting at a table, clearly on a date.

Deciding that she would grab her food to go, she went up to the counter to place her order. While she waited, her gaze wandered over to Emma, who gave her a small smile, and a wistful look. Regina sighed and looked away, deciding that she did not have time to deal with Emma's confusing looks while she was clearly on a date with the pirate.

Once she had her order, she quickly fled, heading home to bury herself in writing.

* * *

 

_"What did I tell you?" Regina laughed, kissing Emma's shoulder. They were sitting on the couch, Emma between Regina's legs, back against her chest, hands holding Regina's over her now more prominent belly._

_"Fine fine, you're an expert on babies," Emma admitted. They had just found out the baby's gender, and just like Regina knew, it was a boy._

_Rubbing her hands soothingly over Emma's stomach, she said, "How about names?"_

_Emma groaned. "I'm terrible at coming up with names. You come up with one."_

_Pretending to think, Regina let out a hum. "I'll use my baby powers to determine the perfect name for our little child."_

_It had been seamless with how Regina began considering the child as theirs. Emma did the same, which made her beam._

_Emma let out a chortle and then angled her head as if talking to the child. "If you get stuck with a terrible name, I'm so sorry kid."_

_Regina gave an indignant scoff. "Honestly!"_

_Turning her head to look at Regina, Emma reached up to plant a kiss on her jaw. "You know I'm just kidding. Fire away with the name suggestions."_

_"How about…Henry?"_

_Emma was silent for a few moments, testing the name out in her mind. Then she nodded. "It sounds perfect. Thank you for being here with me, even if you did get a bit misty-eyed at some points, words can't say how great it was to have you there with me."_

_Regina nodded, smiling. She had been very emotional throughout the entire appointment, and while she told Emma that it was just because this felt special, it went a bit further for her. She had never gotten to experience this in her original timeline, and it felt absolutely incredibly to be here with Emma. When she first saw the echography, she let out a sob of happiness, hardly believing what she was seeing, and Emma squeezed the hand she had been holding and smiled reassuringly at her. This would be magical._

* * *

 

They were having a family dinner over at the Charmings, and after they had finished eating, Henry and David had rushed to play video games, having gotten into a heated debate during their meal as to who was the better racer. Mary Margaret was putting leftovers away, and she had shooed Regina away when she offered to help.

"You're our guest Regina," Mary Margaret insisted.

"I'm hardly a guest when it's meant to be a family dinner," Regina riposted.

Emma had come up behind her and said, "I wouldn't bother, Regina. She gets pretty determined about who helps."

Regina scoffed. "Believe me dear, I have a long history with dealing with your mother's stubbornness."

They all let out a laugh, and when Mary Margaret was done, she had gone over to see what all the excitement was about. Hook - who had been invited, much to Regina's chagrin - had drifted away from the madness to join Emma and Regina.

It made her wonder if Hook felt threatened when he saw both women alone. He barely let them have a minute together without butting in. Deciding to not let it bother her, she asked, "Are we still on for movie night tomorrow?"

She didn't answer right away, but rather frowned and glanced at Hook. "We can rain check, right?"

Hook didn't look particularly keen with what Emma was asking. From what Regina could surmise, she had planned for two things for the next day, and Regina was given preference. "Sure, love."

* * *

 

"So what was that all about last night?" Emma looked up to see Killian by the doorway. She had been busy doing paperwork - unfortunately it was piling up, and Regina was getting on her case to get it finished.

"What do you mean?" she asked, putting the pen down and sitting back on her chair.

"You asked for a rain check on our date so you could have a movie night?" he asked, sounding miffed.

Emma didn't understand the issue, and she didn't particularly like Hook's tone. "Hey, I'm allowed to do what I want. If I think having a movie night with my son and his other mother, who is also my friend, is more important than a date, then that's my right. Besides, right now I just feel too guilty to turn her down. She's going through a tough time, and I want to be there for her."

"You're feeling guilty over Regina because she broke up with someone?"

Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Problem?"

Moving back to the doorway, he said, "I'm just wondering who is dating who right now," before turning and leaving.

* * *

 

The next evening found Henry, Emma, and Regina together on the couch, watching the first Harry Potter movie. It had become a staple of their weeks, watching a movie, just the three of them. No Charmings, nor Hook, or anyone else.

When they reached the scene with the mirror of Erised, Regina felt a sort of kindship towards Harry, who grew fond of the mirror that showed his parents – though long-gone - alongside him. She could understand how he went night after night to revisit an ideal, though unattainable, world. As the camera panned to show Dumbledore, she took note of his words, noticing that it could very well be applied to her situation.

 _"Men have wasted away in front of it,"_  Dumbledore began as the music changed. She wondered if that's what she was doing, wasting her days writing a story that she would never get to experience.

 _"It does not do to dwell on dreams Harry,"_  he continued, sending shivers down Regina's spine,  _"and forget to live."_

The phrase resounded with her, and she resolved that she would demand answers from the Apprentice as soon as she could grab hold of him. She didn't want to miss out on this life, as much as it pained her to have to witness Emma be with someone else. Henry needed her to be there for him.

Later that night, when Emma had left and Henry had gone to sleep, she sat looking through all that she had written. Numerous dates and quiet moments between the two women that she wished she could be able to experience for herself, but she knew it would never come to pass. She had to be content to just look and read the words that she had created.

* * *

 

_Regina peeked inside, and saw an ecstatic Emma holding a baby in her arm, while her other hand was clutching the tiny curled fingers. Knocking on the door, she caught Emma's attention, who beamed at her. "Come meet Henry!"_

_She walked inside and sat on the edge of the bed, meeting their son - technically for the second time. "He looks perfect."_

_Emma nodded. "He is. Thank you."_

_Looking over at her quizzically, Regina asked, "What for?"_

_"For all of this. I probably wouldn't have been where I am right now if it wasn't for you, hell I'm not even sure if I would've kept Henry…I'm not really in the position to handle raising a child by myself," Emma explained, choosing to look at Henry._

_She knew there was truth behind the words, since the alternative had been what she had originally lived through. Hooking a finger under Emma's chin, she raised her head so their eyes locked. Softly, she brought their lips together. After trading some kisses, she said, "You won't ever be alone again, Emma. I promise."_

* * *

 

The next day, she pounded on the Apprentice's door, determined to get an answer from him. After three knocks, he answered, looking positively baffled at the ruckus. This time, he looked much more casual and bedraggled.

"Oh! Madam Mayor, what a surprise," he greeted with a gentle smile.

Regina was not amused. "Really? You didn't foresee me coming?"

He shrugged. "I don't check every day. A bit of surprise every now and then does well for me. Such as this, for example. Please do come in."

She stepped inside, and as the door shut behind her, she turned to him, arms crossed.

"What can I do for you?"

"I want answers," she said, her tone a bit harsher than she had originally planned on using, but nonetheless conveying her state of distress.

"About the book you are writing?" he asked. "Come, let's sit while we speak."

Once they were sitting, and the Apprentice had his cup of tea in hand, he gestured for her to speak.

So Regina began, all her feelings tumbling out. "I feel lost. I write in the book and I feel the words pouring out, scenarios appearing in my mind with events that I could have never envisioned. I thought that this would be therapeutic, give me an out to imagine a world were Emma and I were together, but it's merely created more strife. I'm more distracted here, and everyone is noticing and asking me, and I can't tell them that I've grown obsessed with writing this story that I know will never become real."

"If it's not helping you, then perhaps you should stop writing," he suggested simply.

Regina shook her head. "That's the problem; I  _don't want_  to stop writing. I want to move into that world. Everyone here has a life of their own, whether or not I'm here makes no difference, and all I do is worry everyone when I'm distracted."

The Apprentice got pensive. Regina's claim was not a light one to make, so he had to choose his words carefully. "Say that, hypothetically, you could go into that world. You'd no longer be in charge of what happened. Everything would be at the whim of the characters," the Apprentice pointed out.

"I don't really care," Regina responded. "I actually feel a bit guilty about being the author in the first place; I feel like in a way, I'm forcing Emma to be with me, since I'm writing for her to do so."

The Apprentice made a so-so gesture with his hand. "Authorship is a bit of a finicky subject. While yes, you do have the overall control of what happens, usually you'll find that your characters do have a mind of their own. Surely you have noticed certain things happened without your explicit planning?"

She had indeed, so she nodded.

"There you go. But to get to the matter at hand, you cannot travel into that world. It does not exist."

"But there are pictures that appear!" Regina exclaimed, bewildered. "Surely something must exist, otherwise where are those pictures coming from?"

The Apprentice sighed. "I'm afraid I'm not well-versed in the lore of illustrations to give you a proper educated answer. But I can tell you with certainty that that world does not exist."

Noting that she clearly wasn't going to get an answer from him, she thanked him for his time and left. There was someone else who could help her. Heading back into town, she continued to think about what the Apprentice had said. Could it really be that the Emma and Regina in her book were not her complete puppets? It was true that some things that Emma said in the story were not things that Regina knew to be explicitly true, but they were things that she just found herself writing.

Walking into the library, she found the circulation desk empty. A further investigation made Regina realize that Belle was probably shelving. Following the sounds, she came across the librarian.

"Hey Regina!" Belle greeted with a grin. "How's it going?"

She made a face to show her response. "Could we speak for a minute?"

"Sure," she nodded, and led them to some study tables nearby. Sitting on the same side, Belle turned to look at Regina. "What did you want to talk about?"

Unsure of how to phrase her question, she haltingly began, "Do you…have you ever, I don't know, wanted to go _into_  a book?"

Belle narrowed her eyes as she attempted to understand the question. "You mean like living a life inside the world of the book?" Regina nodded. "Of course, I think everyone has. Why? What's this about?"

Not wanting to divulge anything - especially if there was a chance that Emma found out - Regina said, "I've recently gotten into a book, I've been captivated by it, and I've been craving to just live there."

"But what about your life here?" Belle asked.

Regina shrugged, looking down. "It's not as if my life right now is magical and perfect."

Belle nodded slowly. "Is this about your break-up?"

Whipping her head back up, she looked at Belle alarmed. "I-"

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Just between us," Belle said with a smile.

Feeling like she could trust her, Regina regaled the story of the Apprentice granting her the authorship of a book where she could write a happy ending for herself in another world. She explained how that Regina was living her life with the love of her life, and how recently, she was craving to just leave this world and become part of the other one. "But the Apprentice said there was no way to go into that world."

Belle had listened to the entire story, and after Regina was done, she asked, "So what would be the catalyst? Can't you get that happy ending in this world?"

Regina had managed to tell the entire story without mentioning Emma's name, and to answer would just give Belle more clues as to what she wanted. "Unfortunately no. My life is nearly perfect, except for one thing, but it's unattainable."

"Just a stab in the dark, but it's in the romance department, right?" Belle hazarded a guess, and was spot on. Seeing Regina's dejected confirmation, she thought out loud. "Someone you like but you can't have…Emma?"

Spluttering, Regina gaped at her.

Belle gave her a knowing smile. "Oh come on, you're not that subtle with your pining over her."

Sulking, Regina crossed her arms petulantly. "I don't pine over anyone."

"What I've seen says otherwise," Belle countered.

If she saw, it meant others could see… "Who else knows?"

Belle shrugged. "I've never formally met with anyone to discuss it, but Ruby for sure knows."

Great; if Ruby knew, then Regina was one sentence away from being outed to the entire town.

As if she was reading her mind, Belle added, "Don't worry, she won't tell. Ruby might be a gossip, but she knows when to draw the line. Your secret's safe."

Regina wished she could be so optimistic, but a lot was at stake. Shifting the subject a bit, she asked, "How would you stop it? Being interested in diving into a book I mean."

Belle thought about it for a minute before she shrugged. "I guess I'd just move on to another book, though the need's always there. It came in handy when I was locked up though."

She cringed a bit remembering that she was responsible about it, but Belle rushed to add, "Don't beat yourself up over it. You've already apologized, and I accepted. I was just giving an example. It prevented me from going mad really."

Nodding, Regina smiled a bit at Belle's reassurance. "But didn't you crave to be in those worlds? To escape?"

"Of course, but at the same time, it was what I wanted, to forget where I was. If you had something more worthwhile to occupy your time, maybe you wouldn't be so keen on losing yourself with this fictional story."

"Perhaps," Regina thoughtfully responded. "So you don't think I'm going mad for wanting to find a way into the book?"

"Not mad, as long as you don't go stir crazy again and channel the Evil Queen," Belle jested, lightly nudging her shoulder.

* * *

 

_Regina had had a long day, but when she entered the house, her fatigue had been forgotten as she heard Emma talking to little Henry. Walking towards the nursery, she saw Emma holding up the nearly six-months-old child under his arms, shaking him slightly. He squealed in amusement, and Regina smiled right along with the antics. As she stepped inside the room, Emma smiled over at her._

_"Hey you, Henry and I were missing you," she greeted before making her way to kiss Regina. "I think Henry wants to say good night to you."_

_Henry babbled as he was handed off to Regina, and she smiled as she took him into her arms. "Hello my little prince. I'm sorry I wasn't here much today, but I promise tomorrow I will be here all day for you, okay?"_

_His response was to yawn. Chuckling, Regina handed him back off to Emma, who put him with his head on her shoulder, bouncing him gently to get him to sleep._

_Once he was out like a light, they made their way back to their room, where Emma collapsed on the bed while Regina went to take a shower and get into her pyjamas. By the time she came out, Emma was snoring softly, so Regina merely smiled fondly, and got into bed, snuggling up to Emma's side, feeling the younger woman sleepily wrap an arm around her to pull her close._

_She slept so fitfully, she barely wanted to wake up the next morning, but she could smell breakfast being made, and Emma talking animatedly to Henry filtering through the door. Shuffling towards the kitchen, she saw their young child sitting on the high chair in his adorable blue onesie, banging a plastic spoon. She made her way over and kissed the top of his head. "Good morning Henry."_

_All she got in return were babbles._

_Emma turned around and chuckled. "At this rate, Henry's babbling is getting me to start babbling as well. Soon enough, I'll forget how to speak."_

_Regina chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll remind you."_

" _Oh yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?" Emma asked._

_Regina's answer was to make her way over and kiss Emma soundly on the lips. "Does that help?"_

" _Immensely," Emma murmured dreamily._

* * *

 

Walking down the stairs, Regina nodded to Helen, the nurse on duty, before making her way to Zelena's cell. Once inside, her sister looked up at her with a wide grin.

"Ah the prodigal sister returns! And here I thought you weren't going to visit little old me anymore."

Over the year, the two sisters had gotten a lot better in their interactions, though she still hadn't been cleared to rejoin the real world with Archie, who was presiding over her treatment.

Going to sit by the bed, Regina began with an apology. "Sorry. I've been a bit distracted lately."

"Oh I've heard. Helen told me you broke up with Robby-poo. And here I thought you were destined to be with him and all that romantic nonsense," Zelena said with a mocking frown. "Oh well, I always had found him a bit on the dense side, I just hope Rita doesn't inherit his brains."

"Might be better than your psychotic tendencies," Regina quipped. At this point, she was sure everyone in town knew about her breakup.

Zelena chuckled. This was good, being able to talk like this as if they were almost friendly and normal. "I'm sure you didn't come all the way down here to joke around with your dear sister."

That was true enough. Her talk with Belle had got her thinking about going mad while imprisoned, and she got to thinking about Zelena. She wasn't going to ask for advice, but it might be good to talk. It would get her mind off of writing. "I've just been lonely lately."

"Oh?" Zelena hadn't been expecting that. "And you decided to seek out the comfort of your nutcase older sister? My, you must be desperate. Is the saviour too busy with her pirate to keep you company?"

At Regina's lack of a verbal answer, choosing instead to just wring her hands, Zelena began to chortle.

"So the saviour is part of the problem then?" As Regina opened her mouth to protest, Zelena shushed her by swatting her hand. "No no, don't tell me. So you're fresh from your break-up, broken-hearted and dejected. Did she get on your case for throwing all her hard work away?"

She wasn't sure why she was even entertaining Zelena's ridiculous line of questioning, but she still shook her head no.

"No, you're right, the saviour's too good to get angry over that," Zelena said, more to herself than Regina. "Okay, not anger. Did she tease you?"

Once again, Regina answered no.

"Oh I've got it! You  _like_  her!"

Regina was convinced at that moment that there was a neon sign somewhere flashing the truth. Knowing that Zelena's remoteness meant that she wouldn't be able to blab to anyone, and that her only visitors were a psychiatrist sworn to patient-doctor confidentiality, and a standoffish nurse, she wasn't worried that telling the truth would get out. "That obvious?"

"Well, if I can tell just from being here by my lonesome with the delightful Helen as my source, I'm going to have to say yes!" Zelena beamed. "So what's the plan? I'm assuming you've been busy plotting the pirate's demise?"

"No, I'm not going to kill  _anyone_ ," Regina enunciated.

With pout, she clicked her tongue. "Oh pity. You're so dreadfully boring. Really, you need to make your move, show Emma that you're the one for her."

"She's happy with the pirate," she tersely countered.

"You're even worse than I imagined! All this being around heroes and you've turned into a wallflower!" Zelena rolled her eyes. "Come on! Where's the assertive queen that wouldn't take no for an answer? She clearly has feelings for you too."

This got Regina's attention. "What? No she doesn't."

Zelena leveled her with a glare. "Do all your friends have this puppy dog look about them when they look at you? Or put their friend's well-being and happiness in front of their boyfriend's? I have eyes Regina, and I know what I saw, both as myself before my capture, and as Marian."

Regina was speechless. Could it really be?

* * *

 

Emma was currently sitting across from Killian, supposedly on their rain check date, but her mind was elsewhere. Ever since he had brought up the possibility that Emma was being a little too caring over Regina, she had been thinking, and the signs were all there. She hadn't really realized it until that moment, but she had fallen for Regina. She supposed that deep down, she must've known all along. After all, their numerous adventures brought them together, growing from enemies to friends, so the progression felt natural. Though now that she thought about it, everything Regina did were things that went beyond what friends would do.

It was even more obvious when she started to think about all the times Emma herself had gotten irrationally peeved, like when Robin was touching Regina, or during Operation Mongoose when she pursed her lips at Regina talking about her happy ending with him, feeling like she should step in and explain how he was wrong for her, but deciding against it because she wouldn't want to impose her opinion onto her friend's happy ending. That was her being so blatantly jealous, and she had somehow missed all the signs.

And she hadn't been the only one. Regina had recently taken to calling her boyfriend a myriad of names, most famously 'Captain Guyliner'. Speaking of whom, he was currently asking her something, and she had completely missed it.

"What was that?" she asked.

Killian repeated his comment, "It's nice to be able to enjoy a quiet dinner."

She gave a noncommittal hum. She would honestly prefer to be sitting with Regina and Henry watching a movie. Then she paused. All this time she thought that she only enjoyed getting to spend time with them because it was just them as a family, but now she realized that maybe, Regina made up a big part of why she enjoyed it so much. Because she enjoyed making Regina smile, having quiet moments where it was just them, after Henry had long gone asleep, talking about things they had never spoken to anyone else before, knowing that she could trust the other woman more than anyone else, even her boyfriend.

Emma had really fallen hard. She looked across to the man sitting there, and she realized that she couldn't do this anymore. After dinner was done, she would break it off with him. It didn't seem fair that she kept stringing him along, so this was probably going to be good for both of them.

* * *

 

"Hey kid, what are you still doing up?" Emma asked, having just climbed the stairs to their room.

Henry looked at her with a frown, holding up his math textbook. "Being tortured by the education system," he dryly deadpanned.

Emma chuckled, going to sit beside him. "Sounds rough."

"It is, but Mrs. Green wants it all done by tomorrow" Henry sighed then asked, "How was your date?"

"It was alright, though I broke it off with him," Emma breezily responded.

"Why?" he asked, betraying nothing about how he felt at hearing this.

"I realized that I didn't like him as much as I thought I did, and that I like someone else more instead," Emma vaguely responded. She wasn't sure how Henry would take the news.

But Henry just nodded. "It was kinda obvious."

Emma did a double-take. "You know I like someone else?"

To her relief, he shook his head. "Nah, but I could tell you didn't like Hook all that much, you were always giving him excuses."

That was true.

"Who do you like?" Henry asked without any preamble.

"I don't think I should be sharing my love life problems with my son," Emma chuckled, ruffling his hair.

Henry swatted her hand away and pouted. "Oh come on. I can help!"

"Maybe someday kid. Right now, I think it's best I leave it be for a few days."

But Henry was nothing if not a determined kid. "Or, maybe I can be your guy on the inside. You know, get intel and see if they like you back?"

It was a tempting offer, but…"Kid, I don't want to make this awkward for you."

"Why would it be awkward?"

"Because you might find it weird that I like…"

Henry looked confused as he prompted for her to continue.

"Regina," she blurted, powerless against his intense stare. "I like your mom, okay?"

She felt relieved to say it out loud, and as she looked to Henry, his face of pure excitement could light up the town for years. "Seriously?!"

Emma nodded, and Henry's renewed vigour made her chuckle. "We have to think of something ASAP! It'll be like Operation Mongoose and Cobra combined and-"

"Whoa slow down kid. Your mom is kind of going through a rough patch okay? Maybe we should let her be and once she feels better, we can tackle it, okay?"

Henry agreed, but that didn't mean he wouldn't search for clues.

* * *

 

When he entered his mom's home office the next night, he wasn't sure what he was looking for. He turned on a few lamps to give him light, and started to fiddle around papers. Maybe he would find Emma's name with a heart beside it. Then again, he didn't think his mom did that kind of thing. He knew she doodled on her notes, so maybe there'd be something there.

Peculiarly enough, he found a leather tome that resembled his old fairy tale book immensely. But…this one wasn't his. His was more battered and had the title gilded on the cover. This one didn't. As he started to flip through the pages, he began to smile. This was so much better than a heart around Emma's name. Reaching the end, he found a loose sheet of paper with a sticky note on it 'Chapter 8: Swan Mills family'.

It depicted a breakfast scene between the three of them, as well as a baby – maybe a little brother or sister? - and he grinned at how perfect it looked. He gathered the book in his arms, and then silently made his way to his room again. He would show Emma tomorrow.

The next morning, he quickly ate his breakfast and gave his mom a kiss on the cheek, rushing through his routine so he could meet his other mom where they had agreed to meet, in a bench by the park, before he had to head to school.

Feeling excitement, he practically ran there, finding Emma already waiting for him.

"Hey kid, what was so important that we had to meet now?" Emma asked bemused.

"Look," he said, giving her the book to look over.

She did, and she gasped at all she saw as she rifled through the pages. She glanced at the text as well, and recognized Regina's writing. She had done this, she wanted a life with Emma. This had to be what was eating her up so much that she couldn't talk to Emma about. She had to talk to Regina. But first:

"Alright kid, you have to get to school," she said, closing the book.

"But-" Henry protested.

Shaking her head, she got up, tucking the book under her arm. "No buts, come on, I'll walk you to the bus stop, and I'll let you know how it goes after school."

Once they got there, Henry wished her good luck, and Emma grinned, jogging off to Town Hall to meet Regina.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Regina was panicking slightly. The book had disappeared. She was certain she had taken it home last night, but it hadn't been there, only the quill. Thinking that perhaps she had gotten distracted and had actually left the book at work and only remembered the pen, she checked everywhere the minute she got there. But it wasn't there.

Maybe the Apprentice had reclaimed it. It was probably for her own good. So she settled on her chair and got to work, feeling like the distraction would do her good. It didn't last long, as a breathless Emma stumbled in through the door.

Raising her head to look at her inquisitively, Regina asked, "Is everything alright?"

"You tell me," Emma said, putting the book she had been searching for on her desk.

How it got to Emma was beyond her, but the sight of that book with Emma only meant one thing: she had read it. Standing up, she thought about what to say, but no words came to her. "Emma…" she tried, voice wavering.

"Is this what you were talking about? When you said you were dealing with something you couldn't talk about?" Emma asked impassively.

Regina nodded, biting her lip.

"And you wrote all of this?" Emma continued, opening the book to the last page, where her planning image with a more grown up Henry sat in their kitchen along with their newest addition, a little girl named Lucy, rested.

She nodded once more, eyes growing watery. "I thought it would be a harmless escape…"

Keeping her face blank, Emma held out her hand. "Can I have the pen?"

Regina resolutely handed it over to her, watching as Emma turned the book towards her and begun to write. Deciding that she was too curious, and wouldn't settle for reading upside down, Regina made her way around her desk, to read over Emma's shoulder.

By the time she got there, Emma had finished, and she stepped aside to let Regina look at the new inscription.

_'From the moment Emma Swan discovered the truth, Regina Mills didn't need to rewrite anything, because her Emma Swan, of this reality, is already in love with her.'_

Regina reread the words on the page, certain that she was imagining things. Glancing back to the blonde, she saw Emma smiling widely.

"So what do you say?" Emma asked, holding her hand out towards Regina.

She nodded, before bypassing the hand completely to kiss Emma right on the lips, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck. Emma laughed into the kiss, and they both had the same thought: this felt right.

Unbeknownst to them, the book began to flip back, page by page, the words and pictures vanishing as if they were never there. Once the two women took a break from their kissing, needing to breathe, the book cover closed, getting both women to look at it with a frown.

Regina reached it first, and flipped through the pages, seeing they were empty. "That's peculiar. The pen and the story are gone."

Emma hummed in agreement and wrapped an arm around Regina's waist, resting her head on the brunette's shoulder. "Weird. But look on the bright side, ours is just beginning."

And Regina realized that she was right, and with a flick of her hand, sent the empty book to her vault before returning to kissing the gorgeous woman in front of her. They now had all the time in the world to create chapters upon chapters of new stories, together.

* * *

 

_Regina startled out of her slumber. They had been sitting on the couch, watching Henry sitting on the carpet, while little Lucy crawled around as he played. Emma was sitting between Regina's legs, a large leather tome on her lap._

_It had appeared one day nearly a year ago beneath their bed, with some writing already on it. Emma had immediately seen that it had been Regina's doing, as it recounted how they had met. After a few days, Emma had felt inspired, and as a budding artist, she began to illustrate it. As Regina had kept writing, Emma kept drawing what she remembered._

_Sensing that she had awoken, Emma turned back to look at Regina with a soft smile._

_"Everything okay?"_

_Smiling sheepishly, Regina nodded. "Yes, I just dozed off."_

_Emma chuckled, giving her a kiss before turning back to her newest drawing. "You know, you should write more, I like reading you telling our story, makes it seem magical."_

" _Perhaps tomorrow." Looking at her family, Regina smiled brightly. This was what a happy ending felt like. And it was perfect._

**Author's Note:**

> And that was the end of that!
> 
> Okay so the whole authorship thing got a little bit meta, but I hope it was enjoyable! I certainly had a blast writing it and working on something different. I tried to make it as true to the video as possible, while also adding my own bits here and there, I hope it came across as a good companion piece.
> 
> Although I was asked for a small drabble of 2,000 words, I might have gotten a bit carried away, but I hope despite that, it was still a good read. Thank you for giving this [and me] a chance, I really hope it worth the wait, and that its quality is consistent with the rest of the project!
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts!
> 
> Now I'll get back to updating my regular fics, Such a Heavenly View followed by Flirting with Death.


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